EcoSmart submits The Blue Heron EcoHaus for Residential Project of the Year Award
The Blue Heron EcoHaus project would like to be considered for this prestigious award based upon our team’s Lean to be Green strategy for delivering an Affordable NetZero Targeted Home for Kent and Darcie Earle.
Utilized a unique “Lean to be Green” approach that included lean project delivery, target value design, integrated and passive solar design to deliver a NetZero targeted project at less cost.
Created a “Recipe for Affordable Net Zero” with measurable performance and cost metrics, reduced energy usage, use of renewables, heat recover and reduced embodied energy.
Delivered a practical simple design which is highly repeatable that has been documented and shared through social media to make it easy for others to follow.
Our team were successful in our mission to deliver an affordable repeatable NetZero energy use home using industry best practices and would like to be recognized for this exceptional effort. The following are some highlights of the project.
Unique "Lean to be Green" Approach
Our team were hand picked based upon their ability to work in a trustful, disciplined and collaborative way to deliver this project high performance home to a tight schedule and budget. We met as a team to plan the project, pull planned our occupancy date and delivered the project to meet schedule and the target cost.
Adopt lean design and construction practices as advocated by Lean Construction Instite - Canada
Design and deliver to the Target Cost
Establish the Collaboration needed for the TEAM to be successful
Affordable NetZero Recipe
The project was designed to achieve affordable NetZero energy performance to demonstrate that they can positive return on investment, compete with the traditional residential construction and contribute to transforming the market. Our strategy was to achieve low energy use so that a 6.2 kw PV system would get us most of the way to our eventual NetZero energy target.
Double wall construction based upon passive solar design principles
Simple cost effective electric boiler with in-floor radiant heating
PV Renewable energy systems and wood heat to get to NetZero
The Blue Heron project is transformational as it included lean practices to achieve high levels of green performance at minimal additional capital cost. The recipe is simple, repeatable, economical and scalable so that if the industry decided tomorrow that all homes needed to NetZero by 2020, we have a viable solution.
By openly sharing this recipe we have been effective in motivating others to to start the process of making it possible to make all new homes NetZero. EcoSmart currently has two homes under construction, one in planning and others interested and are
looking for land. The following projects are being built by EcoSmart based upon the recipe that was developed on this project.
Salay Mazoon a NetZero ready/Green Roof home for Michael Molaro near Duck Lake, Saskatchewan (Under Construction)
Affordable NetZero ready for Paulo & Adrianna near Rostern, Saskatchewan (Under Construction)
Affordable Back to the Future NetZero for Taylor Guy, North Park in Planning Stage, Start Construction 2017
Blue Heron EcoHaus Success Story
The Blue Heron house is unique in that it first attempted to reduce the cost of construction by building “not so big” and using a simple cost effective sign coupled with lean project delivery to make it “not so costly” to build. When you take into account these affordable strategies, one could argue that this project including the PV panels would not cost any more to build that the large homes with wasted space that are being built in most new sub-divisions.
However, the real story here is the commitment of a couple of young professional Kent and Darcie to delve into creation of an affordable NetZero recipe that will provide a roadmap for others to follow. We respectively submit this project for an award, would be delighted to win but more importantly hope that it helps to motivate others to join the battle against climate change.
Our Team
EcoSmart Developments Murray and Taylor Guy
Kent & Darcie Earle Owners Blue Heron EcoHaus
Steffen Bertelsen of Integrated Designs
Lexus Plumbing & Heating
Westcan Insulation
Duxton Windows
P.R Sustainable Homes, Nudura Insulated Concrete Forms
Plus, all of the other Trades & Suppliers that contributed to the success of this project!
